The fall is a time of lovely colours, family get-togethers and often a winding down of the busy show season. However, the fall is often a time of increased colic calls to veterinarians.
While not all colics can be prevented, paying attention to your management of the horse can go a long way to decrease the incidence, and the suffering of colic episodes.
Colic, which is actually not a disease itself but a sign of belly pain, can be caused by many different factors so it is well worth every horse owner’s time to learn all they can about prevention of this syndrome.
Dr. Ken Armstrong is an equine veterinarian who has been in practice for many years and has seen many colic cases in horses during this time.
“A lot depends on the weather at this time of year, as the temperature swings can result in frozen or ice-covered water. This can result in horses drinking less water at the same time they are shifting from a high moisture diet (grass) to a low moisture diet (dried hay),” explains Armstrong.
He adds, “Make sure the horse has water available as sometimes the water may freeze over during the night and not melt until late morning.”
Paying attention now will help you prevent impaction colic from developing as a result of diet and weather changes and the lack of water intake.
Here are a few points to keep in mind for prevention:
Beware poisonous plants
Ingestion of poisonous plants may be a higher risk in the fall as hungry horses are looking for grass that is diminishing. They may now start eating other plants such as red maple, and others.
Pay attention to what your horses are eating, and what they have to eat to ensure they are getting adequate forage from either the grass or the hay.
Take the time to inspect your pastures and clean out weeds to reduce this risk.
The fall is a time of change from summer pastures to hay. Try to make this transition in a gradual manner without sudden changes to the diet.
The gut of the horse needs about two weeks to shift over to different forages; doing so will reduce the risk of colic.
Always have fresh, clean water available
Water needs may increase as a result of the dry grass and increased hay being consumed so make sure there is lots of fresh, clean water available.
Observe the behaviour of your horses to ensure that all horses are able to access the water, as sometimes in small paddocks one horse may prevent other horses from getting to the food and water sources.
Check Water Temperature
Keep an eye on the water buckets and provide heated water on the nights when the temperature is dropping rapidly.
Monitor the amount of water consumed so that you can act in a preventive manner if there is a decrease in water consumption.
Monitor Hydration
Dehydration increases the risk of impaction colic. Monitor the horse for any signs of dehydration. Discuss how you can do this with your veterinarian.
A “skin pinch” on the shoulder of the horse is a useful tool to assess hydration by seeing if there is any delay in the skin flattening back down (this is called skin tenting).
Slowed skin response may indicate a degree of dehydration.
Knowing this you can then add water to concentrate ration and/or soak the hay for 10 minutes prior to feeding as this gets more water into the gut.
You may also wish to discuss with your vet or equine nutritionist the use of soaked and shredded beet pulp as an addition to the diet for getting more water into the digestive system.
Have a Parasite Prevention Program
Talk to your veterinarian about appropriate fecal testing and parasite control.
The “shotgun” approach to deworming horses is often ineffective and parasite loads can be a high risk for colic.
As a horse owner you can do a lot to prevent colic, such as reading more about it, discussing it with your veterinarian and your equine nutritionist or even taking courses on this topic.
Equine Guelph offers a two-week online eWorkshop on Colic Prevention in March 2013. Visit www.equineguelph.ca for more details.
